The invention relates to automatic meter reading (AMR) systems with radio transmitters or transceivers distributed in the field to receive metering signals and to transmit them to reader devices. In particular the invention is applied to systems where the meters and transmitters are disposed in subsurface enclosures, also know as “pit” enclosures.
In automatic meter reading (AMR) systems, one embodiment of the prior art comprises: a printed circuit board, the battery and an antenna which are held together in a short plastic tube and encapsulated. The antenna assembly is then placed into a metal-walled pit with a metal or plastic cover. When installed in a subsurface pit installation, the antenna is at the level of the ground plane and projects slightly above the plastic or metal cover through a hole in the cover. Antenna radiation is strongly limited by the metal wall and especially a metal cover. In this situation, the antenna's size is strictly confined but high radiation efficiency and a high gain for the antenna are required.
For electrically small antenna design, the uniform current distribution on the wire and the wire length meeting resonance condition are basic requirements to obtain high gain. Abrupt bending and zigzags decrease efficiency of small antennas as explained in W. L. Stutzman, and G. A. Thiele, Antenna Theory and Design, New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 2003 and R. S. Elliott, Antenna Theory and Design, New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1998.